LAUREL — Vera Diediker, 103, Laurel, died Nov. 22, 2023, at Hillcrest Care Center, Laurel.

Funeral services will be Nov. 30, at 10:30 a.m., at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Laurel, with Pastor Jeffery Warner officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m., Nov. 29, at the church. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services Thursday. Burial will be at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Martinsburg.

Pallbearers will be her grandchildren, Matt Diediker, Jeff Diediker, Bryan Diediker, Seth Diediker, Adam Diediker, Andi Diediker, Aaron Diediker, Andrew Diediker, Arik Diediker, Abbie Baack, Jake Boyle, Lucas Boyle and Tanner Boyle.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home, Laurel.

Vera, the oldest of nine siblings, was born Nov. 4, 1920, to Adolph and Bessie (Kohout) Buryanek, on the family farm near Westfield, Iowa. She attended Westfield Elementary and High School, graduating as the valedictorian of her class. She attended Westmar College for one year, earning her preliminary teaching license, and taught in country schools in the Westfield area. She taught second grade in Westfield, as well as coaching the girls’ basketball team, before moving to Rockwell City, Iowa, where she taught second grade as well as filling the elementary principal role. She later moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where she taught second grade for two years.

She married Donald George Diediker Aug. 28, 1952, and they moved to a farm near Martinsburg. They had five children. Don and Vera would farm in the Martinsburg/Ponca area for 19 years before moving to a farm near Laurel, in 1971. Vera took time off from teaching until her first three children were in school and then went back to teaching in country schools in the Martinsburg area. She would later teach at Martinsburg Public Schools, Ponca Public Schools, and finished her career in education at Laurel-Concord Public Schools. Vera would continue to take college classes during the summer and received her four-year degree from Wayne State College in 1970. Even after she left a full-time teaching career of over 30 years, she would tutor students whenever there was a student who needed help.

Vera’s calling was teaching, but in her spare time she taught Sunday School and was an active member of her church’s Ladies Aid.

Her hobbies included gardening, sewing, playing cards, and she was a fabulous cook.

Vera is survived by sons, Steve (Pam) Diediker, Hinton, Iowa; Dave Diediker, Wayne; Don (Erica) Diediker, Laurel; and daughter, Kari Boyle, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; grandchildren, Matt (Megan), Jeff (Ashley), Bryan, Seth, Adam (Andrea), Andi (Katie), Aaron (Heidi), Andrew (Hannah), and Arik (Alexandra) Diediker, Abbie (Shane) Baack, Jake (Michelle ), Lucas (Miah) and Tanner Boyle; 18 great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary Osborne, Kellogg, Iowa, and Marlis (Frank) Asprey, Sacramento, Calif.; sister in laws, Tess Buryanek and Delores Buryanek, Westfield, and Sandy Maynard, Carmel, Ind.; and numerous nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 52 years, Don; daughter, Diane, in infancy; siblings and their spouses, Millie (Clyde) Westrosky, Helen (Adam) Tindall, Betty (Bob) Phillips, Len Buryanek, Jim Buryanek, Frank (Marlene) Buryanek; brothers in law, Arnold Bollhofer, Roger Osborne, Duane (Betty) Diediker, Darrell Diediker; sister-in-law and spouse, Lorna (Harry) Gries; and son-in-law, Dave Boyle.